Trending in 2018: Our Top 10 Travel Predictions for the Year Ahead

With a new year comes new adventures! Here’s a list of our top 10 travel predictions for the year ahead to ignite your wanderlust in 2018….

1. We’ll be scouring the big blue horizon

Following in the wake of Blue Planet 2, we not only love our seas more, but we will be charting courses for holidays brimming with potential for encounters with marine wildlife. The opportunities are almost endless, whether you’re a warm-water lover getting goggle-eyed over coral reefs in the South Pacific or a cool customer focused on Antarctica’s whales, penguins and elephant seals.Recommended holiday: Classic Antarctica

2. We’ll be delving deeper

As destinations like Iceland become increasingly popular, savvy travellers will be looking for ways to explore beyond the tourist crowds and get under the skin of a place. Two factors can play a key role in this: expert local guides can enrich holidays with their insider knowledge, while travel specialists are masters of imaginative itineraries that challenge the norm and seek new frontiers.Recommended holiday: Absolute Iceland

3. We’ll have the hots for Chile

Top of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2018 list, Chile also scooped Best Adventure Tourism Destination in last year’s World Travel Awards. For a thin slip of a country, Chile certainly inspires wanderlust – and it just happens to be Discover the World’s newest destination with a range of self-drives, escorted tours, independent packages and expedition cruises.Recommended holiday: Discover Patagonia

4. We’ll be getting itchy feet over newly accessible destinations

St Helena made a big splash last year when the new airport opened – prior to that, the only way to reach the remote Mid-Atlantic island was by mail-ship. Although the multi-day voyage had its unique charms, the new direct flights from South Africa allow you to focus more time on the island itself, exploring its volcanic interior and uncovering fascinating wildlife, culture and history.Recommended holiday: Discover St Helena Fly-in

5. Our northern lights addiction won’t be dimmed

Take a peek in anyone’s bucket list and chances are you’ll see the aurora borealis beaming back at you. Our fascination with the mysterious northern lights is as strong as ever. What’s changed, perhaps, is the incredible range of day- and night-time activities that can now be combined with aurora hunting – and nowhere more so than at the Icehotel in Swedish Lapland.Recommended holiday: Icehotel Break

6. We’ll be loving Mandela (and South Africa)

From wildlife to wine, captivating Kruger to cosmopolitan Cape Town, we’ve long been singing the praises of South Africa as a vibrant and diverse holiday destination. This year, the Rainbow Nation will seem even more colourful thanks to events and exhibitions planned for ‘Nelson Mandela Centenary 2018: Be the Legacy’. The great leader would have been 100 in July.Recommended holiday: Essential South Africa

7. We’ll be lacing up our boots and heading to New Zealand

An irresistible invitation to some of New Zealand’s finest scenery – from subtropical rainforest to alpine wilderness – the Great Walks were established in 1993. Now, 25 years later, the network of premier trails will have a new addition with South Island’s 45km Pike29 Memorial Track under construction. You can get a taster of the hike’s magnificent scenery on four existing trails.Recommended holiday: 4×4 Hike and Drive

There’ll be a golden glow over Oslo during 2018 as the king and queen of Norway celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. In addition to a pageant-packed calendar of events, the city is also marking the 10th birthday of its landmark opera house with a special season of concerts.Recommended holiday: Capitals of Scandinavia

9. We’ll still be obsessed with bucket lists

According to a recent survey, 45% of travellers have a bucket list – and over 80% will aim to tick off at least one destination on their list during 2018. Although cultural events, learning a new skill and going on an epic road or rail trip all feature highly, the thing most likely to appear on a travel bucket list is a world wonder – and they don’t come bigger than Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.Recommended holiday: Great Barrier Reef Cruise

10. We’ll be taking tech on our travels

In 2018, technology – from smart watches to smart luggage – will continue to embellish our travel experiences. Devices that make our lives easier, removing the stress from decision making and guiding us to the best experiences, will be eagerly sought after. Everyone booking a self-drive in Iceland with Discover the World gets free use of an iDiscover iPad – an interactive digital travel companion preloaded with their itinerary and packed with ideas, information and advice.Recommended holiday: Essential Iceland

Feeling inspired?

Send us an enquiry of call one of our dedicated Travel Specialists on 01737 887 433 for help in planning any of the above holidays.

Popular blog posts

12 of the Best Birdwatching Holidays

You don’t need to be a twitcher. You don’t need to know your guillemot from your gannet, or even own a pair of binoculars. This selection of avian hotspots – in no particular pecking order – will transport you to some of the world’s most spectacular wild places for an unforgettable adventure in the company of beautiful birds!

How to Fall in Love with Iceland (again)

If you loved your first brush with the Land of Fire & Ice, here are 8 more reasons why you should go again – from remote fjords and hidden waterfalls to lonely peninsulas and little-visited fishing villages

We use cookies on our website to provide essential functionality and to assess and improve content and performance, as detailed in our Cookie Policy. If you agree to use our cookies, please close this message and continue to use this site.